Diljit DosanjhDespite being pulled from ZEE5 in India, Satluj still found an audience overseas. punjabi singer Jasbir Jassy claims that the film is still being watched in the US and other countries, adding that it has also been downloaded and shared widely on WhatsApp.In an interview with NDTV, Jassy said that although the film has been removed from streaming platforms in India, viewers outside India can still watch it.He said: “People in the United States can watch this movie, and so can audiences in other parts of the world. I will also tell you that it has been shared widely on WhatsApp and downloaded many times. I don’t think there is any movie that has appeared on people’s WhatsApp 10, 12 or even 15 times.”Jassy also questioned India’s decision to pull the film, saying he believed its content did not warrant such action.“I don’t understand why it was banned. There is nothing in the film that deserves to be banned. If any government, agency or police department feels that this film depicts police officers as helpless, then I would say it is not helplessness but incompetence and gross misconduct,” he said.
Movies remain a source of controversy
“Satluj”, originally titled “Punjab 95” and based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been the center of controversy for years.The film was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification in 2022, but the certification process lasted for nearly three years. Director Honey Trehan had earlier claimed that the CBFC was seeking cuts of 127 items before granting certification.The film was originally scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, but was canceled after reportedly facing objections from Indian authorities.Satluj was released on ZEE5 on July 3 and stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kanwaljeet Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan. It was later pulled from the Indian platform, although Jassy claimed it still attracted an overseas audience.
